1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device, in the form of a magazine, for removing and/or supplying printing plates from or to a plate cylinder of a printing press, in particular for the automatic or semi-automatic changing of printing plates, with a plate-removing apparatus and a plate-supplying apparatus.
A device of the initially mentioned kind is known from European patent application 0 435 410. The purpose of said device is to automate the changing of printing plates.
The magazine holds old, used plates. For removal, the used printing plate is released from the plate cylinder at one end and is then--through appropriate rotation of the plate cylinder--partially inserted into the magazine. Subsequently, the other end of the printing plate is released by the tensioning device of the plate cylinder and the entire printing plate is introduced into the magazine with the plate-removing apparatus. Subsequently, a new printing plate to be used is taken from the magazine by means of the plate-supplying apparatus. First, one end of the printing plate is inserted into the corresponding clamping device of the plate cylinder, where it is clamped, and then--through rotation of the plate cylinder--the printing plate is removed completely from the magazine and is drawn around the outer cylindrical surface of the plate cylinder. Then, the other end of the printing plate is clamped and the plate is tensioned in the circumferential direction.
If the printing press comprises a plurality of printing units, a magazine is associated with each printing unit. For the removal and/or supply of printing plates, it is necessary for the magazine to be brought from a more or less vertical position into an obliquely inclined position in which the lower end of the magazine is opposite the outer cylindrical surface of the plate cylinder. Since the space between the individual printing units is tight on virtually all printing presses, only little space is available for the magazines. Consequently, the removal of old, used printing plates from-the magazine and/or the introduction of new, yet to be used printing plates into the magazine is associated with corresponding difficulties.